Life no Kaze
by Meulin's Disciple
Summary: The wind is always blowing; once it starts, it never truly stops. Life is like the wind, it blows in many different directions and it never does truly end, whether it be in another world or in our memories. A Sheelos oneshot collection. Some will be AU.


_**A/N:** Hello everyone! I had thought about it recently, and I've decided to do a Sheelos onehot collection. All of the oneshots will be independent of each other and I will include a summary before the beginning of each oneshot. Each oneshot will have a different emotional feel to it, some happy, some sad, some in between. This first oneshot is pretty sad. I actually cried like twice while writing this; no kidding! It was a bit difficult to think of and ending for it, but I finally got something xP._

_So please read, enjoy, review, blah blah blah._

_**Summary:** Today, like every year for several years, Sheena has a reason for both mourning and celebration... and mourning always takes precedence on this day._

_**

* * *

**_

_**Anniversary**_

The sky was clear, the sun shone brightly and warmly on the land below it. _How ironic is it that the sun should shine on his anniversary?_ Sheena mused solemnly as she walked through the large plot of land, lavish with green grass; yet another cruel irony, considering the place she was in.

The stone slabs she walked past were worn and eroded with the years, she noted to herself. The only noise she could hear was the clacking of her zori on the paved stone path; at the moment it seemed to be the only noise appropriate for such a day, such a place.

Then she stopped in front of one particular slab, not nearly as weathered as some of the others, but weathered all the same. "H-heya, hun. Sorry I made you wait so long but," she hesitated a moment to regain her composure, "you know it hurts me too much to see you more than once a year." she went on one knee and placed one hand on the stone.

The slab was cold and smooth, the roughness mostly gone away along with countless rain showers and gusts of wind. "You know, the new world was going pretty rough at first… but it settled down." She chuckled humorlessly. But then she remembered where she was and who her clearly one-sided conversation was with; her expression became mournful, as it always did on this particular day of the year. Even her attire—a black kimono with a bright scarlet phoenix printed on the back, the wings extending over the long sleeves and which was held in place by and adorned with a scarlet obi—reflected this saddest of days. Her hair was, at least for the day, not in its usual ponytail, instead hanging loose, draping down her upper back like the darkness in a night sky.

"The gods know that I would've stopped this from happening if I had _known_!" Sheena whispered, a shudder wracking her body. She held her arms and just peered down at the slab of gray rock, looking over and over at the words engraved on it.

_Zelos Wilder_

_Tethe'alla's Greatest Chosen_

_R.I.P_

How Sheena loathed looking at the epitaph engraved on the slab of rock, Zelos' tombstone. The tombstone was such an offensive object to the memory of the emotionally wounded man that she had seriously considered on several occasions tearing the stone out of the ground with her bare hands and having it replaced with something far more fitting.

But the stone was more than an offense; it was a mockery to his memory. Oh, how Zelos had utterly _despised_ the title of "Chosen"! He had even resorted to betraying the only ones who had actually meant something to him to cleanse himself of the filthy title. When he was dying, laying on the cobblestones of the Tower of Salvation, his blood flowing in between the grout, he let himself cry for the first time in many years. He let himself cry, not for himself, but for the one who he had hurt the most with his betrayal… and she was right there, watching every tear until they had all ceased to flow. Then she had broken down on the spot and cried for _him_ in turn.

"I've never forgotten our vows… ''til death do us part, and even then, our bond shall not be broken. We shall forever remain as husband and wife'. We _never_ did anything the way we were supposed to, did we?" she murmured, choking back insistent tears, "At least I know that even in Heaven, you're still my husband. And I know that you're waiting for me there… just like I'm waiting to join you there so we can be together again…"

Sheena and Zelos had married years ago, just one year before they had met their Sylvaranti friends. They never acted the part around their companions, but gave subtle hints throughout the journey. Then Zelos had betrayed everyone, even his own wife, to rid himself of the name "Chosen One". Only during his final fleeting moments of life did he realize what a horrible mistake he had made. And still, even years after his death, Sheena came every year, on the day of his death, to his grave, to see him.

"Anyway…" Sheena began sadly, "I should probably get going…" even though she had said that, she couldn't help but stay glued to that spot on the ground.

"But… before I g-go… I just wanted to say…" now she could no longer hold back her tears, "Happy Anniversary, Zelos." and she let out a long wail, and she wept for her long lost lover, she took a bottle of sake and poured some on the mound of dirt in front of the tombstone and with a shaky hand, she poured some into a small bowl and drank some herself.

It was such a cruel twist of fate that her husband had died the day of their first marriage anniversary. After drinking the first bowl, she had fallen to both knees and wept once again, harder this time; more loudly and with more tears.

It was always painful for her to have a day to celebrate and a day to mourn all at once. It was always so difficult. She always tried her hardest not to cry, but every year, she can't help but break down and let go of her self-control.

As she wept, a sudden torrent of raindrops poured from the sky, as though the heavens were mourning along with her.

As though Zelos himself was crying with her.

"Happy Anniversary… my love…" she had managed once more before the tears had overcome her.

The sky thundered in response.


End file.
